by guest blogger Bob Copper of Storage 101 (Catch Bob at the TSSA Convention on Monday, October 18 speaking on the topic: “How to Conduct an Effective Self-Storage Audit“)

My 16-year old son came into the living room the other night while my wife and I were watching TV and announced, “Dad, we have to talk.” Now, if you have a teenager, you know how those words can instill a high degree of fear and discomfort into even the most macho of men. And yes, I felt that fear and discomfort. What was it? Drugs? Sex? Expulsion? An accident? My heart raced in trepidation, knowing that my life as I knew it was about to take a dramatic turn.

I looked at my son and whimpered, “What is it?” He replied, “You’re watching Project Runway and that’s just wrong.” How quickly one’s self esteem can deflate. My son, a 16-year old high school junior with a bit of acne and raging hormones, had just found out that his dad only pretends to be cool. I was caught watching Project Runway, a reality show in which budding designers compete each week to create fashion through various challenges. One by one, the designers are eliminated (think The Apprentice) until one lucky designer is left standing with the promise of getting to show his or her clothing line in various media, including magazines and fashion shows.

In an effort to be more “sensitive” and attentive to my wife’s “needs,” I’ve been hooked into the drama of seeing Michael Kors wannabes (he’s a BIG deal in the fashion world) create women’s clothing with inspiration from various items ranging from plastic to flowers to food. I hate myself for it but I can’t help but watch for all the drama. It’s kind of like watching NASCAR just for the wrecks.

Watching the episode on that fateful night, one of the judges made the comment, regarding a clear fashion disaster, that the outfit was a “hot mess.” Although I understood that that was not necessarily a compliment, I wasn’t altogether sure what that term meant, so I looked it up on the web. On UrbanDictionary.com there are many definitions for “hot mess” but my favorite is When ones thoughts or appearance are in a state of disarray but they maintain an undeniable attractiveness or beauty. What the judge meant was that although the garment looked great on the outside, underneath the façade it was poorly thought out and poorly constructed. And immediately I thought, “That perfectly describes the self-storage facility I recently audited!”

Actually, it describes a large number of self-storage facilities I have audited. While many operators “maintain” an appearance of attractiveness or orderliness of their facilities, there in fact exists a “state of disarray.” Everything on the outside looks great, but a closer look reveals an operation tittering on the brink of disaster. Consider the facility I audited just a week or so ago.

The owners of a large facility out west had NEVER had their facility audited and just assumed everything was running smoothly. Only after persistent urging by one of the partners did the others finally agree to have someone conduct a third-party operational audit, and they contacted me.

Upon arrival at the site I saw a great-looking property with perfectly manicured landscaping, recently painted parking lot stripes, debris-free drive aisles, and an orderly boat and RV parking area. The employees I met were friendly and well-groomed and the office was clean and appeared to be well-organized.

And then I started looking at the details.

Turns out the manager, who has been in the self-storage business just over a year, took it upon herself to rewrite the lease agreement because she “didn’t like the old one.” She had no idea if the lease was legal or not. A disaster waiting to happen.

I found a lease on which the manager had lined through the “Limit of Liability” clause and written in “No Liability on this Unit” and added her initials. Another disaster waiting to happen.

We mystery phone shopped the employees and they all failed miserably. There was no attempt to rent space, and the calls were a clear interruption of the employees’ other tasks like texting on their cell phones and checking Facebook. If one didn’t know better, it would have been easy to assume the owners no longer wanted spaces rented and didn’t care that the employees were wasting time on their payroll. But I knew better.

The manager told us that her two closest competitors were “just too high’ when comparing rates and she thought it was much more important to “be competitive’” and not be too high. Those two competitors are over 90% occupied and charging 40% higher rates. And did I mention that the subject site was 95% occupied, including 100% in climate? And she thought the competitors were fools.

The facility DID have a waiting list, but the manager was holding vacates until the end of the month “just in case a tenant want[ed] to use the space another day or so.” Some of the waiting list units were on the holding vacate list. And the 15 “unavailable” units? These were units that the part-time maintenance person had not yet “certified” as being rent-ready, so they could not yet be rented. Again, several of the waiting list units were on the “unavailable” list and anyone with a broom and five minutes could have made those units rent-ready. But the manager and her assistants don’t sweep out units.

I could go on, but you get the picture. This facility, great looking on the outside, was a budding disaster on the inside. This facility was one “hot mess.”

How about your facility? Take a closer look.

by Silvia Pendleton, Director of Marketing and Membership

I recently heard a comment that stopped me in my tracks. The comment was something along the lines of “I’m doing more marketing than ever. Marketing has overtaken advertising.” Huh? As a marketing professional, I take exception to that kind of thinking. Perhaps that’s why so many people find marketing to be such a challenge and something to be avoided and seen as a last resort.

Let me try to clarify. Advertising is a component of marketing. Marketing is a process that encompasses many activities, including advertising, public relations, sales, promotions, and all communication activities. If you narrow your scope and idea of what marketing is, you’re missing out on the full benefit of what it can do for your business.

Marketing is anything that either helps you rent a storage unit, sell boxes, rent trucks, or keeps you from reaching that goal. Is your sign visible from the road? Is your facility hidden behind another building? At night, is your facility well lighted and visible? Is your phone number visible? Do potential tenants have to drive through a construction zone to get to you? Are they guessing about your office hours? Are they reaching an answering machine every time they try to reach you? Does your office look abandoned even in the middle of the day?

The list could go on and on. These are the things that either enhance or detract from the renter’s experience when they try to rent or buy from you. What you do to enhance or remedy the situation is the marketing process.

Training your employees to answer all calls before the second ring is part of the process. Teaching them how to close the sale is also part of the process, as is making sure your sign is working and visible. When a customer walks in the door, a simple greeting and acknowledgement might seem like common sense, but if it enhances the customer’s experience, it becomes part of the overall marketing process. If this one step is left out or ignored, all the advertising in the world will not make up for it.

Keep this in mind the next time you’re going to the bank wearing your facility’s logo on your shirt, or driving your vehicle with your facility’s name on the doors; you’re part of the marketing/advertising process. How you interact with the tellers at the bank is as much of an advertisement about your business as your ad in the phone book. And, it’s more memorable too.

If you find that you’re getting better results from one marketing effort over another, then you can concentrate on doing more of that particular activity. Perhaps that’s the meaning behind the comment I overheard. More than likely, the activities such as face-to-face meetings, civic involvement and sponsorship of community events produced better results over traditional advertising. All of these activities are part of marketing. Don’t neglect one over the other without careful tracking and analyzing.

As for me, I’ve learned my lesson. Next time I hear someone commenting on their marketing efforts, I’m either going to ask more questions, or I’m going to turn up the volume on my iPod and keep on walking.

By Delia Passi

So what do women want? That’s a loaded question but considering I’m tasked with focusing on what women want in self storage we can scratch the surface today and dig even deeper in our next blog and for sure at the conference.

Let’s consider the facts. Given that women are responsible or at least highly influential for the vast majority of household decisions, it makes sense to give a lot of attention to attracting her interest in your facility when making marketing plans.

Are you thinking about the woman of the house when you itemize the benefits of your facility? Women are just as concerned about how much you charge and how convenient your location is to her, but she will give greater consideration to other factors than most men will in a similar decision making situation.

Women will be more conscious of the security of your facility, not just as it concerns her stored belongings, but as it concerns her personal safety and that of her family members when they are at the facility. Your marketing should give lots of information regarding both the physical and personal security aspects of the facility. How many cameras do you have? What percent of the property inside and out is covered by them? Are they being watched at all times?

Your website is a great place to demonstrate the security you’ve put in place. Show lots of photos of the property, and include a layout diagram. Put a link to an aerial view of the property if it is helpful in showing her the security benefits and the surroundings. She can find these on the web herself, but if you offer it she will know you care more by showing it.

Another concern for your women customers is the ease with which she can load, unload, store and transport her belongings. Do you provide any additional conveniences that she might appreciate? If so, then give it attention in your list of benefits. Tell her about carts, dollies and assistance she can get to make bringing or taking her belongings easier. You might consider offering recommendations on moving services she could use. Make sure those moving services are women friendly (or preferably WomenCertified®) as well.

You should also know how to treat her with respect, concern, and dignity when she comes in contact with your employees. Yes, I’m talking about WomenCertified. The training your employees get when they are WomenCertified will ensure that they know how she wants to be treated, how she ommunicates her preferences, and how she makes a decision to use you or stay with you.

Stay tuned. In my next blog ‐ how decisions are driven by life events.

Delia Passi is CEO and founder of WomenCertified Inc., a business that helps other businesses become more women friendly, and helps women find those businesses. If you want to show women that you care about them and their business, you can learn more at www.womencertified.com.

By Brom Hoban, TSSA Director of Communications

Have you ever noticed that when referring to the current business climate, people invariably preface their comments with the phrase: “In this economy”? They are referring to the aftermath of a great recession—a troubled situation. I’m wondering how much longer we’re going to hear that phrase. Could it possibly be that we are now preparing to embark on an upward cycle?

At its worst, the financial crisis (which has been linked to reckless and unsustainable lending practices), caused near panic as the Dow slid to an 11-year low of under 7200 in late 2008 and early 2009.

While there is no downplaying the seriousness of what happened, viewing it in the “big-picture” helps establish a sense of perspective. And that is, that there will always be cycles, and there will always be ups and downs. As I began to write this, global economic worries were rippling through Wall Street once again, as concern about European debt grew. But by the time I finished, the news on the Yahoo Finance page had changed to: Stocks Shake Off Early Jitters, Turn Positive After Early Plunge.

Obviously there’s more to the financial picture than just the stock market. There’s the unemployment rate, consumer spending and numerous other vital signs that indicate whether the economy is heading in the right direction.

Looking at our industry, self-storage grew dramatically throughout Texas and the nation during the 80’s and 90’s. But like any other boom-bust cycle, the time came when cost of construction, materials, and the difficulty that we now see in getting loans, all combined to cause new development to come to a crawl.

“The end of commercial mortgage backed securities (CMBS) loans has played havoc on all real estate, not just self storage, whether you are buying or refinancing,” said Paul Darden, of the Paul Darden Company. “Additionally, there’s a sort of moratorium on foreclosures right now, and that distorts the picture somewhat. We’re now in what is called “uncharted areas. Things are tough, so we have to be smarter about what we’re doing.”

The very definition of a business cycle means that we must eventually move away from the low point. Wesley Mitchell, a famous American economist known for his work on business cycles, wrote that, “Business cycles are a type of fluctuation consisting of expansions occurring at about the same time in many economic activities, followed by similarly general recessions, contractions, and revivals which merge into the expansion phase of the next cycle; this sequence of changes is recurrent but not periodic.”

So my hope is, that in the coming weeks, months, and yes, years, we enter the revival and expansion part of the cycle Mitchell refers to, where we no longer hear the phrase, “In this economy…”

Silvia Pendleton, TSSA Director of Marketing and Membership

One of my friends is a realtor in a very competitive market. Since we don’t live in the same city, I don’t see her very often and our communication tends to involve short emails and Facebook updates. We recently had the rare opportunity to visit over lunch and catch up. Naturally, I was curious how she was faring in this down-economy, tight money and record foreclosures. Her answer was enlightening and very true to her nature.

She admitted that her business is down slightly but not because of the economy…she acknowledged that she slacked off on her marketing efforts during the fourth quarter last year and therefore her prospects have dropped off in the first quarter of this year. “You’ve got to keep that pipeline filled,” she said.

This applies to every business, whether you sell homes or you sell space. You’ve got to be visible, consistent and continually marketing your business. My friend’s excuse is that she’s in love and busy planning a wedding. What’s your excuse? Is it the weather, the holidays, the economy, or the (fill in the blank)?

How do you avoid this symptomatic avoidance? I suggest using a marketing calendar. If you’ve taken the time to set up a marketing calendar, it’s much easier to keep that forward momentum. You’re not as inclined to let the daily grind wear you down when you already have something scheduled, and in the works.

Make adjustments to your plan throughout the year, but always keep that “pipeline filled,” and you won’t have to fall in love and plan a wedding as an excuse for not having a marketing calendar keeping you active and visible.

by Ginny Sutton, TSSA Executive Director

I just returned from a trip to Corpus Christi, where I attended the monthly luncheon and visited a number of self-storage facilities. I really enjoyed meeting TSSA members in this laid-back but business-focused setting.

After visiting several stores, I started noticing a trend that continued through the visit: Every store seemed to offer services or products aside from space for rent. No, I’m not talking about moving supplies or locks, though they had those, too.

I’m talking about completely different businesses, being operated from the self-storage office.

Take Advantage Public Storage, for example. Owners Pat and Amy Nolan also have a security company, as well as a Wienerschnitzel hot dog restaurant franchise. All three businesses happily cohabit one office, and the staff does double duty (in this case, triple duty), handling inquiriies for all three enterprises.

Down the street, a sign for Fox Garden Center caught my eye, partly because I love plants, but also because just below that very large sign was another sign that read “Fox Mini Storage.” I visited the self-storage site (and I sheepishly admit I also popped in to ogle the flowering plants at the garden center), and the manager, Margaret Ortiz, told me that in addition to renting storage space, she handles inquiries for stacks of wood for Ed’s Firewood, for sale year-round, presumably for building beachside fires. Ah-ha! I had noticed the stacks of wood just outside the large office window, and the question that flitted through my mind about the connection to self storage was suddenly answered. The storage site and wood service are just two of this owner’s interests; he also owns the restaurant where the day’s luncheon was held! (Baja Coast on Staples).

Next stop, Security Self Storage on the north side of Corpus (also known as Calallen). Owner Jack Taylor also owns a Farmers Insurance office, which he houses next door to the self-storage site. Each business has a separate entrance, but once you enter, you quickly notice that the office is open from one side to the other. Jack walks easily back and forth from the insurance side to the storage side without missing a beat. He also owns the shopping strip center where the businesses are located, and is landlord to the other business tenants housed there. Jack says the fact that all his employees are like family and have been with him for 10 years or more helps him to manage what I consider his own “business empire.” A modest man, he certainly wouldn’t have used those words, but I couldn’t help notice that there were many irons in his proverbial fire. And when you are juggling these various businesses successfully, as he obviously was, you are doing something right in my book.

And that thought stuck with me throughout the day–that many TSSA members are entrepreneurs of the finest sort. And, they are extremely diversified in their various offerings to the customers who happen by, and always looking to add something customers need or want.

Another store I visited, The Storage Place, sported an obviously new addition, with freshly nailed wood trim not even painted yet. Upon entering, I immediately noticed these old-fashioned mailboxes, the likes of which I used to see at the old post office in my home town in Taylor, Texas. The Nolans own this store, too, and already offer private mailboxes at one of their other stores as a service. Manager Justin Davis lamented that the only problem with promoting the new mailboxes was the strong coastal winds that kept carrying away the banners he put out front to attract drive-by attention.

I found myself marveling at the business acumen, and let’s face it, sheer guts, that it takes to start all these different business ventures and manage them successfully. Though I hadn’t seen it quite so evident in other parts of the state, partly because I don’t always have the time to visit stores, there is no doubt that many of our members are involved in other businesses, from car washes to convenience stores and from moving services to insurance agencies. Sometimes the services seem like a natural compliment to storage (like the moving business), and sometimes the symmetry isn’t quite as obvious. One member even owns a funeral home that fields call for self storage. Now, there’s a twist you don’t see everyday.

Contact TSSA at 888-259-2902, or visit www.txssa.org. TSSA is always looking for interesting news about forward-thinking trends and new types of ancillary services at storage facilities.

By Ginny Sutton, TSSA Executive Director

Have self-storage operators embraced the Internet as the great be-all and end-all source for information when it comes to running their facilities? Do operators prefer to Google their question rather than pick up a phone?

In 1997, when I was hired as the executive director for the Texas Self Storage Association, our phone used to ring continuously throughout the day with calls from self-storage operators needing help. With only three of us on staff, answering these questions consumed much of our days.

My, how the the Internet has changed things. Now answers are available 24/7 with our online Ask the Experts feature at www.txssa.org, in Members Only. With more than 400 common (and some not-so-common) questions about self-storage legal issues in the searchable database, along with answers from our attorney, help is just a few clicks away.

We also post articles from our magazine, Self-Storage News. So, when a member is dealing with a tricky situation, he or she can bone up on the solutions, using these online resources.

In late 2009, at board member Brad Young’s urging, we also created an animated lien tutorial featuring characters Tex and TeSSA as a way to make the foreclosure process less intimidating and–be still my heart!–even made learning the steps fun.

We do still get the calls, however, though not at the same volume as in the past. And what’s interesting is that many callers have the same questions. Granted, once a month or so, a member describes something we’ve never heard of before, but generally, Holly, Kay, and Marissa, who all answer the phone here, tend to hear many of the same questions over and over. So, I’ve created a set of FAQs in layman’s terms (sorry, lawyers!), and will be posting them here in the coming weeks, grouped by their general category. This is just the first of several categories, including Foreclosure/Lien Sales, Access Rights, Evictions, Selling Vehicles, Abandonment, Collecting Sales Tax, and Miscellaneous.

I hope these are helpful to operators, especially you newbies out there. If you have questions you’d like addressed, post them as comments here, or better yet, post them on TSSA’s new discussion forum, Self-Storage Online Community. Other operators can be a great source of practical tips.

Common Foreclosure Questions

Foreclosure Sale a Must?
Q. A tenant stopped paying me. I would rather throw away or donate the items in the unit than pay for advertising and deal with the hassles of a foreclosure sale. Am I required to have a sale?

A. Chapter 59 of the Texas Property Code requires you to have a public sale after providing the tenant a notice of your claim, and after following the other steps detailed in the Lien section of the Goldbook©.

On occasion, items in a unit may actually be abandoned by the tenant, but the definition for abandonment is quite restrictive (see paragraph 26 of the TSSA Rental Agreement). If the tenant agrees to authorize abandonment of the unit contents in writing, you may dispose of the goods. (The TSSA Authorization and/or Release by Tenant form, shown on page 352 in the Official Forms section, is useful for this purpose, and may be ordered from TSSA.) Otherwise, a lien sale or judicial eviction are your only legal remedies.

Dumpster Looks Good Right About Now
Q. When I opened the unit, I found mostly old clothes and various furniture items of questionable value. Why can’t I just throw the stuff in the dumpster and be done with it?

A. Chapter 59 is silent on the issue of the value of a unit’s contents and how it affects your rights as a lessor.

The age-old saying, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” springs to mind. The fact that some things can be considered antiques or collectibles can also muddy the water. Bottom line: If there is anything of value—even minimal value—consider either 1) cutting a deal with the tenant to allow removal of the items (see the collections article on page 157 of the TSSA Goldbook©); 2) having the tenant abandon the contents by signing the Authorization and/or Release by Tenant form; or 3) proceeding with the foreclosure or eviction process. You will always have to use judgment when running your business, and sometimes trash is just trash. Should you choose to throw away the contents of any unit without a concerted effort to make sure they were abandoned, or especially if you have no regard for the value of the contents, know that you may be exposing your business to a liability risk.

How Long to Wait
Q. How long must I wait after the tenant quits paying before I can seize the unit and start the foreclosure or eviction process?

A. Chapter 59 is silent on a minimum amount of time that you must wait, so this will always be a judgment call. Though it may not be wise to rush into foreclosure, there is also a down side to waiting too long (more debt that the tenant may not be able to pay continues to accrue while your business loses rental income). TSSA always recommends working on collecting the debt before beginning the foreclosure process. Find a process that works well for your business.

Certified Mail or Proof of Mailing?
Q. Do I have to send the claim notice for a foreclosure using certified mail? I would like to send the notice via First Class Mail, with proof of delivery, as this is less expensive and will produce a receipt proving the item was delivered. Is that okay?

A. At this time, Chapter 59 still requires the notice of claim be sent via certified mail. With other methods for mail tracking becoming less expensive and more sophisticated, TSSA plans to lobby for changes to the statute in the 2011 legislative session. In the meantime, TSSA recommends mailing the claim notice via certified mail. The green “Return Receipt Requested” card gives you further proof that you notified the tenant, though it is not required by the statute.

See more about requirements for notifying tenants in the Lien section of the Goldbook©.

Notice of Claim Returned
Q. The notice of claim I sent was returned by the post office as undeliverable. Can I still foreclose, or do I have to prove that the tenant received the notice?

A. Chapter 59 requires only proof of mailing (a receipt from the post office) sent to the last address provided in writing by your tenant. If the properlymailed notice is returned as undeliverable, you should retain it in the tenant’s file. Of course, there is nothing wrong with continuing to look for other ways to notify your customer about the impending sale. As long as you are careful about sending the notice to the tenant’s correct name and address, and mailing it as required (via certified mail), you will have met the statutory requirement for notification. (See the step-by-step process outlined for regular, vehicle and boat foreclosures in the Lien section of the Goldbook© for all required steps.)

Hungry for more legal knowledge? After you read your Goldbook©, check out the archived legal webinars in the Members Only section of the TSSA site, or come to the convention in Fort Worth on October 18-20. At least four hours of legal training will be offered there.

Jackie Ramstedt, CAM, CAPS, CAS ~ Owner, CMO Chief Motivational Officer ~ Ramstedt Enterprises, Inc. ~ Austin, Texas ~ 800.925.5169 ~ www.JackieRamstedt.com

On October 26, I had the honor of speaking to TSSA members for the first time at the annual convention in The Woodlands. My background is in the multi-family housing industry, and I specialize in management performance, sales, resident retention, and customer service training. I have always said that any time you have a product or service to sell, customers who will buy those products, and employees who have an immediate influence on those customers, you have a “common bond” of customer service challenges.

So when I was asked to speak to self-storage managers, I was a little apprehensive at first, given that I had never personally managed a self-storage facility before. So I had no first-hand experience from which to pull from as to your specific issues, since your customers (hopefully) don’t live in their units as they do in the apartment industry!

But I have to tell you, I was incredibly moved by the warmth, friendliness, and openness of every one of your members ready to embrace my suggestions. I soon realized that our two worlds were not so far apart. I began to feel at ease and comfortable with the research I had done on the self storage industry; in fact, during my seminar, I remember saying to myself, “These are definitely my kind of people!”

My seminar was on customer service, which seemed to be a theme throughout the day. During my session, I was thrilled to see the room filled to capacity—probably half who wanted to actually get some new ideas and the other half out of sheer curiosity about who this new speaker was. No matter; I think everyone had a great time, including me!

The last few minutes of my seminar focused on giving your customers what they REALLY want, and I would like to share some of those thoughts…

1. Be available for your customers when THEY need you. Remember they are the ones “voting with their dollars” every month, and their needs come first.

2. If you have a feature—call me silly—it should be working! Broken access gates, lights out, etc. just remind the customer of the level of professionalism and attention to detail (or lack thereof) you are displaying to them.

3. Ask them for their own solutions. Many times we think only on one level when managing our stores. Great solutions can be created by soliciting ideas regularly from your customers. Not only does the problem get solved, but those whom it affects most will feel they have had their say in the matter and therefore will “buy into” that solution.

4. Hire happy people to work at your store! Because you may not see every one of your customers every day, it makes it even MORE important that when they DO see the staff, they are HAPPY! Remember, as I illustrated at my seminar, everyone needs to be on that “Happy Bus” for that first impression AND throughout the customer’s time at your store.

Don’t forget to be a Customer Service Asset….with the acronym of ASSET meaning:
A - Amazing
S - Service
S - Satisfaction
E - Eliminates
T- Turnover!

Running a business isn’t really difficult if you remember this: great product quality and an effective system of good communication with your customers, coupled with positive “happy” attitudes of the staff = Outstanding Customer Satisfaction!

So how was your time at the convention? Mine was PRICELESS!!!

Guest blogger: Holly Barr, TSSA Administrative Assistant

Today I will be writing a check for my car and homeowners insurance. And every month I am a little distraught when a portion of my paycheck is deducted for health insurance. But, my homeowners insurance has fixed my roof for me and my car insurance took care of me when I accidentally had a small fender bender in a parking lot. And once, years ago, I almost cancelled my health insurance because I honestly felt like I could not afford it any more. My HR person at the time convinced me to hold off. I thought, “I’m healthy; I will never have to use this, and could really use the extra money…why am I paying for this?” Karma has a funny way of letting you know when you are wrong, because about a week later, I had to have my appendix removed. Painful? Yes, but it would have been much more so if I’d had to pay for the operation out of pocket without health insurance. So, I begrudgingly pay the fees for insurance, and I am happy it’s there when I need it.

This is how I hope you will feel about TSSA when you are choosing whether or not to write your dues check this year. It’s not a matter of whether or not you need us right this moment, but rather that we are here when your need arises. This year alone I have spoken to many of you who have said, “I have been a member for years, but this is the first time I’ve had to call for help.” We have also had several former members call after realizing what they had lost by not renewing their membership. In this strange and new economy, we are all faced with new challenges, including how and when to spend our money. Just make sure you are not cutting corners that will cost you more in the long run. Don’t let karma come and get you.

Keep in mind too that we are your association, meaning that you should always feel free to call or e-mail us with suggestions you have about how we can work better for you. One of our goals this year is to increase member involvement; we want to hear from you, and we are listening. Let us know what you want and need—that is why this organization exists. I can’t promise that you’ll get the same response from your car insurance company, though.

My very first TSSA convention was in 2002 in San Antonio. I had spent months researching the self-storage industry and was convinced that it was a sound investment and a good move but I wanted more evidence. I’m not sure why I hadn’t run across the TSSA website (TMSA at the time) but for some reason, I didn’t find it until just a few days before convention started!

The Early Bird Pricing had long expired, and I was looking at paying the full non-member rate for the registration. I scanned the educational offerings and thanked my lucky stars for steering me to this site! I signed up on the spot.

With just days to go before convention started, I ended up in one of the outlying hotels. Luckily, TSSA had set up shuttle service from the various hotels, and getting to the convention center was never a problem.

Memories of the rest of the experience are a little blurry now that seven years have passed, but a few things still resonate when I think back. I remember the excitement I felt when I walked into the registration area and saw the throngs of people gathering there — all of them interested in the self-storage business! I remember meeting Emily Mathews for the first time and her winning me over when she offered the member rate – if I promised to join within 30 days of the convention.

I also remember the frustration I felt, beforehand, over the amount of time wasted trying to find information and trying to make connections, when all I needed was to attend the TSSA Convention. The education sessions were an eye-opener and packed with valuable information. I still refer to the notes and handouts from that convention!

I can’t even begin to describe how incredibly useful and timely the trade show was for me. Every possible storage-related service was represented. Every vendor I met at that show was patient, knowledgeable, and professional. I went to the preview AND the full show the next day, and felt I could’ve used more time with the vendors! I had so many questions and was hungry for the information they shared.

TSSA closed the convention with a live auction benefiting the Shriners Childrens Hospital. The good natured bidding wars were fun to watch and I got caught up in the excitement. I could tell that I was among some caring and generous people who enjoyed each other’s company.

I left that first convention with an armload of information and renewed interest. Every bit of knowledge gained at that convention, and those following, has been put to use at some point. I’ll always have fond memories of my first TSSA Convention and that feeling of hitting the jackpot!

I might have been lost in the woods when I started on this journey but TSSA helped me find my way to a great business. To Emily’s credit, I did join the Association right after attending, and I haven’t looked back since.

Don’t miss the 2009 TSSA Annual Convention and Trade Show at The Woodlands!